Ellen Knickmeyer

Associated Press Writers

OPEC and allied oil-producing countries meet Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, under the shadow of a surprise new COVID-19 threat, with uncertainty over the omicron variant's future impact on the global economic recovery hanging over their decision on how much oil to pump to a world that is paying more for gasoline.

OPEC+ Maintains Modest Monthly Increases in Oil Output

This pace has frustrated the United States as gasoline prices rise.

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Oil to Cut 10M Barrels

That is a tenth of the global supply.

Four Corners Power Plant in Waterflow, N.M., April 2006.

Pandemic Triggers Sharp Drop in Emissions

The Energy Department expects the largest decline in fossil fuel emissions in decades.

This Dec. 12, 2018, file photo shows traffic on the Hollywood Freeway in Los Angeles. The Trump administration is rolling back tough Obama-era mileage standards and gutting one of the United States' biggest efforts to slow climate change. The administration released its relaxed mileage rules Tuesday.

Trump Rolls Back Mileage Standards

It's a win for Americans who like their SUVs and pickup trucks.

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Toxic Superfund Cleanups Decline to More Than 30-Year Low

The Trump administration completed the fewest cleanups of toxic Superfund sites last year than any administration since the program’s first years in the 1980s.

In this June 28, 2016, file photo, a customer puts gas in their vehicle in Miami.

Administration Proposes Increased Mileage Standard

Fuel economy standards would increase 1.5% per year — far less than the 5% annual increase mandated by the Obama administration.

Slide taken from TVA presentation.

Next-Gen Factory-Built Nuclear Reactor Gets Permit

The small modular reactor will received the first permit in the country.

In this Jan. 11, 2017, file photo, early morning traffic at a standstill on Interstate 5 in Portland, Ore.

Report Finds EPA Rushed to Clear Super-Polluting Truck

The current administration rushed to exempt a type of super-polluting cargo truck.

In this Nov. 30, 2017 photo, boats are shown moored in the Anclote River near the old Stauffer chemical plant site in Tarpon Springs, Fla. Hundreds of the nation's most polluted places are at an increasing risk of spreading contamination beyond their borders by more frequent storms and rising seas. Sixty percent of U.S. Superfund sites are in danger from weather extremes like hurricanes or wildfires, and the Trump administration’s reluctance to acknowledge and plan for climate change is hurting chances of safeguarding them, according to a government watchdog.

Climate Imperils 60% of Superfund Sites

2 million people in the U.S. live within a mile of 327 Superfund sites in areas prone to flooding or vulnerable to sea level rise caused by climate change.

In this July 27, 2018 photo, the Dave Johnson coal-fired power plant is silhouetted against the morning sun in Glenrock, Wyo. The Trump administration is proposing easing more Obama-era protections on contaminants from coal-fired power plants. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a proposal Monday overhauling a 2015 rule on release of contaminated wastewater from power plants. The EPA says the change will save $175 million annually in compliance costs.

EPA Relaxes More Pollution Rules

President Donald Trump has embraced a series of regulatory breaks and boosts sought by the coal and utility industries.

In this Oct. 26, 2018, file photo, downtown Los Angeles is shrouded in early morning coastal fog and smog.

Automakers Side with Trump in Fight with CA

The battle is centered on if California has the right to set its own greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards.

In this Oct. 22 photo, Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks to members of the media following a Senate policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Schumer Proposes $462B Gas for Electric Car Swap

Schumer said the "proposal to bring clean cars to all of America" would be a key part of climate legislation by Senate Democrats.